Method of making button stays



N 1943. L. L. ALMOND ET AL 2,334,635

METHOD OF MAKING BUTTON STAYS Filed May 20. 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 jiverziora le'azevcz. azmnd ,Zianfal'r uaoro Baa 7o 7' Nov. 16, 1943. L. L. ALMOND ET AL METHOD OF MAKING BUTTON STAYS Filed May 20, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Wfz Patented Nov. 16, 1943 2,334,685 .ME'DHOD OF MAKING BUTTON STAYS Lester L. Almond, Frank Ferguson, and James F. Baker, Troy, N. Y., assign'orsto Cluett, Peabody & 00., Inc., Troy, N.

- York a corporation of New Application May 20, 1940, Serial No. 336,ll82

1 Claim. (01. 112-262) This invention relates to apparel, and more particularly to a novel reinforcing means to resist the pulling off of fastener elements such as buttons, snap fasteners, or the like. This invention also relates to a novel and efficient method of making such a fastener reinforcing means. The reinforcing means will be referred herein as a button stay, intending to include a reinforcing means for a button or for any other fastening element for apparel; H

It has been found that buttons pull off gar ments primarily because when the button is pulled unduly in laundering or in use the button threads cut or tear through the fabric in which they are secured- It has been proposed that a strip of reinforcing fabric, called a facing strip,

should be located beneath the portion'of the I garment where the button is located and that said facing strip be folded into a plurality of plies to provide more than two plies of the facing strip to receive the button thread. Such a facing strip has met with no substantial use because of the difiiculty and expense involved in folding a single facing strip into a plurality of plies. l

The principal object ofthis invention is to provide a novel and efiicient method of folding facing strips into a multiple-ply button stay.

'A'further object is to provide a novel button stay which is not only strong but is also simple and cheap to make and to apply.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of one front flap of a mans shirt and the attached buttons;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on the lines 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section like that of Fig. 2, but showing a modified form of button stay;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a folding device for producing the button stay shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the lines 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the delivery or upper end of the folding device shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged section on the line 'l| of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of a folding device for producing the button stay shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a enlarged section on the lines 9-9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged section on the lines l6' i0 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 11 is an enlarged elevation of the delivery or upper end of the folding device shown in Fig. 8.

'The front flap I2 of the shirt (Figs. 1 and 2) is turned inwardly at its free edge along the fold line i l to form the inwardly folded ply l3. One facing strip I5 is turned inwardly at one edge along the fold line I76 to provide the inwardly folded ply ll which is located adjacent the ply iii of the shirt material. The facing strip i5 extends substantially parallel to the shirt fabric so that the other edge It is located beyond the point" where the button is to be secured. A line of stitching l5 secures the facing strip I5 and the shirt fabricin said position. A second facing strip 20 is folded longitudinally along the line 2| to provide plies 22 and 23 on opposite sides of the facing strip [5, and the plies and 23 are each folded longitudinally along the lines 24 and 25 to provide the plies 26 and 21 on opposite sides of the strip i5. The line of stitching 28 secures-the four plies 22, 23, 26, 21, the end l8 of the strip l5, and the overlying shirt-fabric in superimposed position throughout the length of the front flap i2 of the shirt. The buttons 30 are secured to the garment by button threads 3| which pass through the'five plies of the reinforcing strips and the single.

outstanding arm 6| issecured to the top plate.

The top and bottom plates and 35 are removably' secured in superimposed position by the screw 62 (Figs. 4' and 5) which passes through the superimposed arms BI and 36. The bottom plate 35 consists of two separate plates 31 and 38 which are soldered together as at 39 (Fig. 6).

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the shirt fabric 12 isv fed into the passage 63 in the top plate 60 and the fold line I4 is progressively formed adjacent one edge as the fabric is drawn through the passage toward the delivery end.

As shown in Fig. '7 the facing strip 20 is fed An outstanding into the passage 40 in the plate 38. As the facing strip 20 is drawn through the passage 40 the fold line 2l is first formed (Fig. '7) and the fold lines 24 and 25 are subsequently formed, as shown in Figs. and 6.

As shown in Fig. 7 the facing strip I5 is fed into the passage 4| in the plate 31, and as shown by Figs. 5' and 6 the fold line 16 is formed as the facing strip is drawn toward the delivery end.

In operation the folding device is detachably secured to a double needle sewing machine so that the delivery end is located adjacent the needles.

The shirt fabric I2 and the two facing strips [5 1 and [9 are then manually pulled through thep'asf sages 63, 4| and 40, respectively, so that they emerge from the delivery end in the relative positions shown in Fig. 6. The shirt fabric and facing strips are then fed beneath the presser foot of the sewing machine, the sewing machine is started, and it automatically pulls the remainder of the fabric through the folding devioe'and the needles simultaneously sew the lines 'ofstitching l9 and 28. This novel folding method automatically'and progressively "folds the strip 20 and simultaneously places the edge portion of the strip between the fdlcled'plies of the strip 29.

In the modified button stay shown in Fig. 3 the front flap o fthe shirt 12 is turned inwardly at the fold line 14* to form the ply I3 in the 'same'manner asinthe button stay of Fig. 2. "One facing strip 10 istuined inwardly 'at one edge alon'gthe fold line "H to provide the inwardly folded ply -l2 which is adjacent the ply l3 of the shirt'inate'rial; "A line of stitching I9 secures the facing "strip ill and theshirtfabric in said position. The opposite edge of the facing strip is folded longitudinally along the line 13 to form the ply 14. I I} second facing stripFD is folded longitudinally along the line "8| to 'form'two plies Gland 83. The shirt fabric 12% an'd'the underlying fourplies of facing strips are secured together by the'line of stitching ZB' Whih extends parallel "to the i ine f The button 39 is secured to the shirt fabric and the underlying four plies of facing strips by the button threads 3l which extend thereo hr I This button stay is made by means of the folding device shown in Figs il to 11. Thefolding deviceconsists of a bottom plate 90 and a top plate 60. An outstanding arm 9] is securedfto the bottom plate and an'outstanding arm 6| is secured to thetop plate. The top and bottom plates 66 and 98 are removably secured together in superimposed position by the screw 62 (Fig. 8) which passes through the superimposed arms 1H and SI. The bottom'plate 30 consists of two separate plates 52 and 95 which are secured together by the cross-arms 91 and 98 and bythe solder spots 96. 7

' As shown in Figs. 10 and ll the shirt fabric l2 is fed into the passage $3 in the top plate 6E! and the fold line M is automatically formed adjacent one edge as the fabric is drawn through said passage toward the delivery end.

As shown in Fig. 9 the facing strip 10 is fed into the passage 93 of the plate 95 and the fold lines" and H are progressively formed as the facing strip is drawn through said passage toward the delivery end (compare Figs. 9, 10 and 11) As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 the facing strip 80 is fed into the passage in the plate 92 which forms the fold line 8| and simultaneously positions the folded strip 80 between the plies of the strip 10 as the strips are drawn through the foldling device "toward the delivery end.

This folding device, like the one formerly de- "sc'ribed,is 'detach'ably secured to a double needle strips and shirt fabric are progressively and 7 simultaneously folded and positioned whereby they emerge from the delivery end in the proper position for stitching.

" While certain "desirable embodiments of the inveritioir'have bee'n described by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited to these precise embodiments buti's to be regarded as inclusive -of any and all equivalents thereof which fall within the terms of "the appended claims.

I'cla'imz Method of forminga fastener stay on a garment which comprises as steps providing two stay strips, turningin the margin 'of the garment material adjacent to the desired location of the intended fastener stay to form a fold line and two plies of 'fa'bric,turning'in one margin of'one stay strip to "form a fold line and two plies of fabric, so assembling the garment material and the folded stay strip that said fold lines are substantiallyin registry and the intur'ned margins are 'infoontact,'uniting the assembled four plies by a longitudinally extending sewed seam, doubling the second .of said strips substantially along its longitudinal center to form a fold line and superposed plies, turning inthe second marginof the first-strip-to provide a longitudinal fold line and superposed plies, so interposing the foldedzsecond'strip between the vlast-namedplies of the? firststripthat the free edgesof the second strip aredirected toward and housed within the last-named fold of the first .zstrip, uniting the garment material. and ithEJfiISt and second strips by: a sewediseam "whose. stitches :-pass through two plies at least of each of said stay strips, and thereafter attaching a fastener by stitches'to-pass through the garment material and at -1least .four plies of. the assembled stay strip material, the several folding and *s'eaming operations being progressively performed beginning adjacent to one end of each stay strip and proceeding toward itsopposite end.

LESTER 1L. ALMOND.

' FRANK-FERGUSON. .JAMES BAKER. 

